The Real Reason Your Data Bill Is So High And How To Fix It

Downloaded the iOS9 update recently? You might regret that when you hear what we’ve just found out.

Yep, a lawsuit involving $5 million worth of damages has been filed against universal techno company Apple after it was revealed that the Wi-Fi Assist setting has been charging customers without them knowing.

Apple explains: “With Wi-Fi Assist, you stay connected to the Internet even if you have a poor Wi-Fi connection. For example, if you’re using Safari with a poor Wi-Fi connection and a webpage doesn’t load, Wi-Fi Assist will activate and automatically switch to cellular so that the webpage continues to load.”

The main problem, though, is that the Wi-Fi Assist function is turned on by default, so if you haven’t been fully informed of the setting and aren’t contracted to unlimited data, you’re going to rack up a pretty hefty bill by the end of the month.

On top of that, the lawsuit, as reported by AppleInsider, argues that: “Apple intentionally chose to have the default setting of the Wi-fi Assist as activated while at the same times chose to omit the likelihood of data overcharges to consumers that do not have an unlimited data plan.”

And while the Apple website does feature clear instructions on how to turn the Wi-Fi Assist feature off, the lawsuit – filed by William Scott Phillips and Suzanne Schmidt Phillips – says this only happened after a “flood of articles” were written about the issue.

The lawsuit also accuses Apple of misleading customers and cites both California’s Unfair Competition and False Advertising Law.

So there we have it – the secret to saving a whole load of cash on your data bill is as follows: go to Settings > Mobile Data > Wi-Fi Assist and turn it off. Thank us later.